WEBVTT DISTRICT BELIEVES IT HAS COME UPWITH A WAY TO SOLVE IT BUILDINGPROBLEMS A LOT SOONER.TIM: THIS IS THE SCHOOL SYSTEM'SLATEST TOOL TO TRY AND HEAT UPCOLD BUILDINGS, A THERMAL GUN.AND DEPENDING ON WHERE THEY'REPOINTED, THE HANDHELD DEVICESWILL DISPLAY A REAL-TIMETEMPERATURE READING.THEY'VE BEEN ISSUED TCUSTODIANS IN SCHOOLS ACROSS THECITY.>> IT WAS REALLY DIFFICULT TOGAUGE WITHOUT HAVING SOMEONE TOACTUALLY GO TO THE SCHOOL ANDTAKE THE TEMPERATURETIM: WITH BUILDING TEMPERATURESGOING UP AND DOWN OVER THE PASTWEEK, THE STAFF AT DALLAS F.NICHOLAS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HASALREADY PUT THE HIGH TECHGADGETS TO GOOD USE.>> WE HAD SOME MINOR ISSUES THISMORNING.I WALKED AROUND WITH MYCUSTODIAN.SH HAD THE THERMAL GUN.SHE TOOK CLASSROOM TEMPERATURES, SEND IT OVER TO FACILITIES ANDFACILITIES SENT SOMEONE OVER TOCHECK OUR BUILDING IMMEDIATELY.TIM: DURING OUR VISIT TO THISSCHOOL ON TWO SEPARATEOCCASIONS, THE TEMPERATURESRECORDED ON THERMAL GUNS RANGEDANYWHERE FROM THE LOW TO MID60'S TO THE LOW TO MID 70'S,DEPENDING ON THE DAY'S WEATHERFORECAST>> WHEN THE CUSTODIAN COMES INFIRST THING IN THE MORNING, THATPERSON CAN TAKE THE TEMPERATURESAND CALL OUR HOTLINE AND LET USKNOW SO THAT WE CAN DECIDE HOWWE NEED TO THE RESPONDTIM: IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT INTHE CASE OF DALLAS F. NICOHAELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THE HOTLINECOMMAND CENT IS RIGHT ACROSSTHE STREET, THERE ON THE FOURTHOR AT SCHOOL BOARD HEADQUARTERS.-- FOURTH FLOOR AT SCHOOL BOARDHEADQUARTERS.THIS IS WHERE CALLS FROM SCHOOLCUSTODIANS AND STAFF MEMBERS ARESCREENED AND LOGGED INTO ACOMPUTER SYSTEM.THE INFORMATION IS THEN PASSEDON TO WORK CREWS, WHO ARE SENTOUT TO TRY AND FIX THE PROBLEM.>> MERGANTHALER SCHOOL 410I NEED TO FLAG 1, 2, 3, 4, 5AREAS.TIM: TOP SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORSSAY BUYING THERMAL GUNS IS ANINEXPENSIVE INVESTMENT TO HELPDEAL WITH AN ONGOING AND COSTLYBUILDING PROBLEM.AT DALLAS F. NICHOLAS ELEMENTARYSCHOOL, TIM TOOTEN, WBAL-TV 11

Freezing temperatures have once again been the focus of attention for the Baltimore City Public Schools district, where the average building is 45 years old and the heating issues are numerous.

The district believes it has come up with a way to help solve its building problems in an efficient manner.

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A thermal gun is the school system's latest tool to try and heat up cold buildings. Depending on where they're pointed, the handheld devices will display a real-time temperature reading. They've been issued to custodians in schools across the city.

"It was really difficult to gauge without having someone to actually go to the school and take the temperatures," said City Schools chief operating officer Keith Scroggins.

With building temperatures fluctuating this week, the staff at Dallas F. Nicholas Elementary School has put the high-tech gadgets to good use.

"We had some minor issues this morning. I walked around with my custodian. She had the thermal gun. She took classroom temperatures, sent it over to facilities and facilities sent someone over to check our building immediately," said Danielle Adams, principal of Dallas F. Nicholas Elementary School.

Over the past week, temperatures at the elementary school that were recorded on thermal guns ranged anywhere from the low- to mid-60s to the low- to mid-70s, depending on the day's weather forecast.

"When the custodians come in first thing in the morning, that person can take the temperatures and call our hotline and let us know, so that we can decide how we need to respond," Scroggins said.

The hotline command center is in a fourth-floor room at school board headquarters. It is where calls from school custodians and staff members are screened and logged into a computer system. The information is then passed on to work crews who are sent out to try and fix the problem.

Top school administrators said that buying thermal guns is an inexpensive investment to help deal with an ongoing and costly building problem.